Where The Magic Lives
by It'sMe-AshleyMarie
Summary: Set some time in Season 5. Castle plans a getaway to Disney World for Kate and himself, but what he doesn't know is how much Disney World brings out the child in Kate he has yet to see. Magic happens between this new couple in the most magical and happy place on earth.
1. Dreams Really Do Come True

Dreams Really Do Come True

Kate needed to take some time away from work. Between her confrontation with her mother's possible killer and the stress of the resurgence of 3XK, she was spread too thin and could snap at any moment. Her sweet partner was also currently in delirium, spending sleepless nights thinking about Jerry Tyson and what he planned to do, but he did not let his emotions take away from the state of his and Beckett's new romantic relationship, so Castle, being the ever doting and attentive partner he was, figured he could fix the problem with a little magic.

It started with a simple note on the nightstand in now their bedroom. " _'You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.' Christopher Robin was a genius, by the way. You can do this, Kate. Always, Rick."_ Inspirational for the work day ahead, and she laughed at her adorable partner as she crawled out of bed to give him a hug. A few cute notes later, she still cherished his tenderness and love of Disney.

Then, he began to drop little presents in, like the star-shaped earrings he bought her for no reason except " _For the brightest star in my life, the second from the right, who whisks me to a place where I never have to grow up and the dreams that I plan really can come true."_ Kate knew that Castle loved Disney and had shared his love with Alexis from the time she was born, but why would he be doing this now? Maybe to take his mind off of the stress at the precinct. Yeah, that had to be it.

But something changed entirely when Kate checked her voicemail after she was cleared to leave at around 6:30. Castle had left around lunch, saying that he had "business to attend to" and it was urgent that he leave then. One new message from Rick that began with him singing " _For this is the night, all the heavens are right on this lovely bella notte_. Meet me at the loft at 8." In the past four days, she's gotten seventeen Disney references out of him . . . What on earth was he planning?!

Kate went back to her apartment to change into something nicer when she found something on her bed waiting for her in a large box. " _Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo! Be my princess and wear this for me. Your carriage will be waiting for you shortly."_ Kate opened it and revealed a beautiful ice blue ball gown, just like Cinderella. Normally, she would say that his gift was too much, but she knew her Rick, and he had something very special in mind for this evening. So, she slipped the dress on, fixed her hair and makeup, and made it out just in time to meet the driver who would take her to see her prince. She was anxious the whole way there to see what Rick had been up to all this time, and she couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he saw her in this dress.

She knocked on the door excitedly, and Castle answered it promptly wearing a gorgeous suit and tie. His jaw nearly dropped and his eyes nearly bulged from his head when he saw Kate in the dress.

"Whoa . . . hi."

"Hi." Kate shyly smiled and laughed as Castle embraced her and pulled her in for a deep kiss. "I missed you today."

"I missed you more. Shall we?" Castle extended his arm to her, and he led her across the darkened loft to the candlelit area near the dining room table. Before he could totally reveal the surprise, he pulled a rose from his jacket and offered it to Kate. "My lady?" Kate happily accepted the gift and was utterly floored at the level of Castle's true romantics. Who knew? He pulled her chair out for her and helped her sit down before taking his own seat.

"Good evening to you both. I'm Alexis, and I'll be taking care of you. Can I start you with something to drink?" Kate's smile seemed to stretch across a galaxy, and she stared at Castle like he was the most genius man in the world.

"Wow, you really went all out! I'll just have some water, thank you."

"Oh, and Alexis, could you bring that bottle that's on the counter?"

"Of course. Coming right up!" Alexis went into the kitchen and grabbed the things she needed while Kate sat at the table flustered and exuberant at the same time, and Castle was just begging for her to call him a genius from the look on his face.

The two sipped on their wine and sent Alexis back into the kitchen to start preparing the plates for the meal, enjoying pleasant conversation and relaxing in the time that they had together. Somehow, they got on the subject of this evening, and Kate just had to ask his strategy for perfect evening planning.

"How did you even make all of this happen? The dinner, the dress, Alexis—"

"I'll admit, it wasn't easy and I couldn't have done it alone, but I guess all it takes is a little faith, trust and—"

"If you say 'pixie dust,' I will smack you." Castle laughed loudly at that, knowing Kate would make good on that threat if he said it. Kate bent over to pick up her fallen napkin under the table.

"Actually, I was going to say Parmesan cheese, like the kind that's about to be in your face." Of course, that was when Kate decided to look up, and Castle lightly blew a cloud of Parmesan in her face. Kate tossed her napkin at Castle, and the couple shared good laughs while, unbeknownst to them, Martha stood in a darkened corner of the room somehow simultaneously taking pictures and filming the whole thing with multiple cameras. Castle cleaned off her face and his own with a napkin but left a dot on her nose that he could lick off. Of course, Alexis walks in at the opportune time with a single large plate of spaghetti and meatballs and sets it on the table to attract their attention.

"You two are disgusting, it's almost cute. Enjoy your dinner!" Kate looked at the plate, then back to Castle, who was ready to eat.

"So, this is the only plate?"

"What, Kate? Don't like to share?" He loved teasing her about being possessive of her things and her food when she was starving, like now, for instance. She groaned and picked up her fork.

"With you? I _guess_ I'll make an exception." So, the couple began to savor their shared meal. The night was slowly becoming more and more resembling of _Lady and the Tramp_ when she took into account the menu, the candles, and the soft romantic music playing in the background. Everything was perfect. Martha snapped a few good pictures of the couple feeding each other and ungracefully slurping noodles, though that was mostly Castle.

The pair was stuffed as they could see the bottom of the plate, but they continued to eat as much as they could. Coincidentally, the two happened to twirl the same long noodle around their forks at the same time, slowly eating towards the end but were shocked when their lips met in the middle. Time seemed to stop as they embraced one another, sharing an intimate moment that would go down in history as one of the cutest couple moments. (Thankfully, Martha had it on tape!)

Copying the scene he knew by heart, Castle nudged the last meatball to Kate, and she put it in the middle of the plate for the two of them to share. Finally, they finished the meal, and Castle helped Kate to stand.

"Come on, there's something I need to show you." Castle gave a signal to Alexis and Martha to clear the table and initiate the next step of the plan while he took Kate outside.

Not too far from the apartment complex was a small secluded area of private property that someone in his family owned where Castle built his treehouse and a large wooden bench swing all those years ago. Kate, of course, was the only woman lucky enough to sit on his swing with him. He let Kate sit down and pushed her gently back and forth, and the joy on her face melted his heart and made him fall more in love with her than he already was.

"What do you think of this little place?"

"It's beautiful, Castle. I love it."

"Good." He stopped pushing Kate for a while so he could sit down beside her, and as he did, he took both of her hands in his and rubbed the backs of them lovingly. "I know you've been stressed lately. Of course, that's an understatement. Between Bracken and Tyson and everything else, I get it because I'm there with you, and you look like you could use a vacation. So, let's take some time for us where we can do what we want when we want. I want you to come away with me for a week." Kate smiled and scooted closer to Castle. "Come away" usually meant something more heated was in store, so she got excited for that.

"Come away, like to the Hamptons?"

"Not quite, but I'll do you one better. Don't worry, Captain Gates cleared this as a personal leave for both of us, assuming you choose to go with me. You came into my life, and I had found the magic in what life was again. I want to go to a place where we can experience magic together. So, I was thinking about going somewhere a bit more fantastical. Somewhere like . . ." Castle fished in his pocket for the final present he couldn't wait to give Kate. The Keys to the Kingdom. "Disney World."

He did not! Best boyfriend ever. As if Kate's smile could get any wider, she nearly cried joyous tears at his offer, and she hugged him tightly, wrapping her arms around his neck. You'd think he'd just asked her to marry him!

"Yes, yes, yes! A thousand times, yes! Castle, you don't know how long it's been since I've been to Disney World! This is . . . it's a dream come true! Thank you so much, Rick! You are amazing!" Kate showered Castle with kisses all over his face, and she moved onto his lap laying across him.

"No need to thank me, Kate. This is my treat, okay?" She snuggled into his chest, and he kissed her forehead once before ushering her from his lap so they could go back to the loft. Castle opened the door and yelled out to Martha and Alexis of their arrival. "She said yes!"

Immediately, the other girls rushed to Kate and hugged her tightly, congratulating her for taking this opportunity and welcoming her into the Castle family. Castle kissed Kate again before leading her to the kitchen where Martha and Alexis had put out ice cream in bowls shaped like Mickey Mouse to celebrate. Kate and Castle were about to take their first real vacation together, and they couldn't wait to see the magic in store for them in a few short days.


	2. Where the Magic Lives

Where the Magic Lives

The departure day had finally arrived, and Kate woke up that morning glowing radiantly. Admittedly, she barely slept the night before, too eager and anxious to start their fun-filled week of magic around every corner. Castle had told her that they would be staying at the Polynesian Resort, so she would be getting a little taste of the beach that she missed in the Hamptons. Kate's bags were already by the door, and she was jumping with joy about leaving for the trip, even without a cup of coffee. Their flight was scheduled to leave at 7:15, but it was 6:10 and Kate wondered why Castle wasn't awake yet. Kate decided it was in her best interest to wake him up so that they wouldn't be late.

"Castle, wake up!" She shook him as she jumped back on the bed and on top of him. "Come on, sleepyhead, rise and shine. We've got a big day ahead of us. Come on! Don't make me push you off of this bed." Castle turned over.

"As if you could," he mumbled groggily.

"Don't test me, Rick." Oh, she was serious. Kate almost did it when Castle finally sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Good morning sunshine!" She kissed his lips softly and hugged him around his middle as he yawned and laid his head on hers.

"Hey. You're up early."

"Not really, but I couldn't sleep. You want some coffee?"

"Please and thank you. You're an angel, by the way." Kate gave him another kiss on the cheek as she started out to get his coffee.

"Maybe, but I'd like to think I'm a fairy sometimes. One coffee with a sprinkle of _pixie dust_ coming right up!" Kate headed into the kitchen, and Castle sat back on the bed and thought about how lucky he was to have an amazing woman like Kate Beckett in his life. She brought him back his coffee quickly plus a cup for herself and sat on the bed with him as they drank together and enjoyed the company of the other.

"Incredible," Castle sighed as he took a sip.

"The coffee?"

"You." Castle kissed her passionately, and she reciprocated with equal fervor while trying not to spill the coffee. After sharing their usual morning cup together, the two got ready for the three hour flight to Orlando. They packed well but not excessively for their week-long vacation and each took a suitcase and carry-on out the door with them. Finally, their vacation could begin.

* * *

The flight ran smoothly and landed surprisingly on time, and the couple stepped off the plane more awake and excited for their adventure to start, the first of those hailing a taxi to take them to the resort. Eventually, they were able to find one and eagerly directed the driver to their hotel while the couple sat in the back seat together making lighthearted conversation about all that they wanted to do once they got there.

"Castle, I just—thank you for all of this. I mean, I can't believe you would do something like this for me." Castle took her hand softly and laced their fingers together.

"You're my partner, Kate. It's what we do. Even though I'm your partner in multiple ways now, I'll always be your friend and look out for you. What you need to do now is stop thanking me, enjoy yourself this week, and look out the window." As he told her to do so, she was met with the scenery of the Polynesian Resort. White sandy beaches, palm trees swaying in the wind, and tiki huts that reminded her of _Lilo and Stitch_ lay before her, and Kate's smile could have lit up every torch around them.

"Rick, look! We're here!"

The pair retrieved their luggage and checked themselves into the hotel before taking a tour of the grounds they would be staying on. After taking a hundred pictures in front of different places in the hotel and managing to take twenty descent ones, Kate and Castle decided to have lunch at one of the hotel restaurants and relax on their balcony for a while. Their room had an ideal view of the lagoon around the Magic Kingdom, and in the distance was Cinderella's Castle standing tall and proud.

The relaxation was much-needed for a while, but Kate had suggested that they go out later as a real couple who didn't have a reason to keep their relationship a secret. Castle, of course, was all for it! Going out with his girlfriend in Disney World, the most magical place on the planet, was something he wouldn't trade for the world. Kate had decided that she wanted to go to Downtown Disney for a night of delicious cuisine and dancing in one of the clubs on Pleasure Island, and Castle had no objections to fulfilling all of Kate's wishes this week whatever they may be.

So, the couple dressed up for a night out and decided on dinner at a gorgeous authentic Italian restaurant in the area, and the romance of their night out held fast in the air. Over dinner and a few glasses of wine, Kate and Castle laughed, talked, and questioned each other on their love for Disney.

"Okay, what was the first Disney movie you remember seeing?" Kate had to think about that one because she watched so many of them as a kid.

"Well, it wasn't my first Disney movie, but I remember this distinctly. _The Little Mermaid_ came out on my tenth birthday, and my mom and dad were planning to see a different movie that day but decided against it because it was my birthday and because I had seen the trailer for the movie and started singing Ariel's song around the house. I started singing in the middle of the movie when Ursula was taking her voice, and my mom got a huge kick out of that. I dressed up as Ariel for the next three Halloweens after that! My first movie, however, was _Sleeping Beauty._ What about you, Castle?" He laughed at Kate's story and also his own.

"I was four years old when I saw _Robin Hood_ , and I thought he was the coolest thing since sliced bread. I wanted to be like him, stealing from the rich to give to the poor. A thief with a code, I guess you could say. Mother would laugh when my friend John and I would play as Robin Hood and Little John and "borrow" things from other little boys in the park and try to win the hearts of other maidens on the jungle gym. Ah, those were fun times." Kate rolled her eyes at Castle's antics of his younger days and how relevant they were to his of recent years as well, but she adored her sweet partner all the same because he had finally won her heart.

* * *

Through dinner and window shopping on the way to the club, Kate and Castle talked about various Disney-related topics and learned more about each other's obsession with certain Disney movies and must-haves to do on their week together. They kept the nature of their conversations and public displays of affection on the PG side until they arrived at the darkened club where couples were already out on the dance floor getting their moves on. It shocked Castle that Kate was the one eager to dance in _that_ way, but he enjoyed seeing a happier and freer version of her, so he indulged her wish and danced with her until the wee hours of the night.

* * *

When the club started to wind down around midnight, the couple decided to call it quits and head back to the room for a good night's rest for their next day's adventure. Immediately when they returned to the room, Kate flopped on the king-sized bed and insisted on going to sleep right then. Castle, although also tired, helped Kate undress and snuggled into bed with her once he was more comfortable as well.

"Castle," Kate mumbled, half-asleep. He grunted as acknowledgement. "Thank you. For tonight, for everything." Castle lazily kissed her forehead down to her cheek and finally her lips.

"Always. Good night, Kate."

"Night, Rick." Kate scooted closer to her teddy bear of a partner and drifted off into blissful dreams of princes and princesses, fairies and enchanted animals, and, above all, true magic.


	3. The Kingdom of Magic

The Kingdom of Magic

The next morning, the couple woke up in each other's arms still astounded by the magic surrounding them in a place like this. Finally, the two could enjoy a morning without worrying about a murder to interrupt their time together, and they could relax and simply be in each other's company. After spending a few (which turned into more than a few) moments in bed together, Kate and Castle got ready to start their day in the Magic Kingdom right when the park opened. Strolling down Main Street USA right after they entered the gates felt like seeing home again after being away for so long, and Kate grinned at the sunshine and beautiful temperature to welcome them on their first real day.

"Oh, Castle, this is so exciting! Do you know how long it's been since I've walked down this street to get to Cinderella's Castle?" He shook his head. "Twenty years, Castle. I came here with both of my parents for my sixteenth birthday and haven't been back since. I guess we just kind of considered it sacred, you know? It's silly, I know." Castle squeezed her hand and forced her to look at him, stopping on the inside of the sidewalk.

"Hey, it's not silly at all. I completely understand why you would consider it sacred, but you know what the good news is? You were here last with people who love you, and you get to do it again. So, let's just have fun, okay? Be that same sixteen year old coming here, and we can do whatever we want to. Yeah?" Kate nodded and gave him a soft kiss and nodded as they started to walk towards the castle again.

"Thank you, Castle."

"Always."

"Castle, look! It's right here! Can we take a picture, please?" Castle chuckled as he pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of the happy couple all smiles in front of Cinderella's Castle. He stole a kiss from her and snapped some more pictures as he ambushed her with kisses, and she was unaware that he captured her smiling and giggling face on camera. The two continued their journey and waved to some of the characters parading down Main Street, including Donald Duck, Goofy, and the head honcho himself, Mickey Mouse.

The sun shone down bright on them as they looked around at the attractions of past and present and fondly recollected their memories of the Magic Kingdom and all its wonder. From the castle, the pair decided to start in the left half of the park, which included Liberty Square, Frontierland, and Adventureland. They waited for their first Fastpass for Splash Mountain at 12:20 by amusing themselves elsewhere and started with one of Castle's personal favorite rides, The Haunted Mansion.

"Castle, you know I hate these things."

"Oh, come on, Kate! You haven't seen it since it's been updated, so it's different than what you remember. Give it a chance, for me?" Castle looked at Kate with his puppy-dog eyes, the ones that she could never resist.

"Fine. Fine, Castle. You win," she grumbled, and Castle clapped his hands giddily, wrapping his arm around Kate.

"This is going to be so much fun! You know I'll protect you, that is, unless I find it more fun to scare you instead." Kate gave him her signature glare and slapped his chest. "Hey, I was kidding, I swear! No need to hit me."

"Castle, remember what you said in bed this morning?"

"I said a lot of things in bed this morning, like how—" Kate clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Castle, there are children here." She gestured to the youngsters around her with their parents, and that shut him up immediately.

"Right, sorry." He looked down and let Kate relish in her victory of shutting Castle up.

"As I was saying, you said this was supposed to be a place to get away from the cases and the murders, right?" He nodded, and Kate leaned in close to his ear. "Scare me on this ride, and the police can charge me with the murder of _Richard Castle_ , got it?" Castle's eyes widened, and he nodded quickly. Kate smiled and kissed her partner on the cheek and moved up in the line with him.

"But Kate, if you get scared, you could always just grab my _leg_ or I could—" The glare was back. "Shutting up now." Kate patted Castle on the head and waited in the rest of the line until the pair entered the mansion at last. The Ghost Host greeted them with a chilling welcome and asked the guests if the room was actually stretching or was it just their imagination.

"Which offers you this chilling challenge: to find a way out," he laughed evilly. "Of course, there's always my way."

Suddenly, the room went pitch black, lights flashed like lightning bolts overhead, and a bloodcurdling scream resounded through the walls of the chamber. All the lights came back on as the host apologized for scaring the guests, and Castle felt Kate squeezing his hand after he had accidently frightened her in the dark. He laughed a little and kissed her forehead as they boarded their doom buggy for the rest of the ride through rooms filled with dancing spirits and ghastly ghosts. The ride ended finally, and Kate hurried Castle out of the mansion.

"Okay, let's go do something happy now!"

"Kate, are you afraid of ghosts?" He was itching for her to say the famous line again after that past case together, but she refused even after he playfully nudged her to say it.

"The dark, Castle. I've never liked it."

"Well, seems we learn something new about each other every day. Come on, let's go to Splash Mountain. I know how much you enjoy getting wet!" So, they did (only after Castle received another slap for his third cheeky comment in under an hour) and passed the Western atmosphere of the front part of Frontierland and moved quickly past the Country Bear Jamboree.

"We're not doing that," the pair said simultaneously and whipped their heads to each other in surprise.

"Beckett, it's like we could be twins!" Kate scoffed at that and continued to move forward.

"Very funny, Castle. It was just a coincidence, that's all. Come on, let's get out of the sun because I'm dying!" Thankfully, Splash Mountain would get them wet and help them cool off under the blazing sun, even though it was only the end of April. Standing in line with their Fastpasses ready to scan, the two prepared themselves for a fun but wet adventure.

Venturing through the tale of Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox, the story continued on, and Brer Rabbit was eventually captured by Brer Fox and prepared to take the plunge. This moment signaled the time when the picture was about to be taken, so Kate and Castle formulated a pose for their photo. As the flash snapped, Kate waved to her phone and recorded a video of them dropping fifty feet, and Castle, knowing where the camera was, stared directly into the camera with his signature book jacket expression, refined and slightly brooding. She put her phone away just before the two got soaked, the consequence of being seated in the front row. They high-fived each other, and Kate sighed as the water chilled her, and the pair left the ride to eagerly see their picture and laugh at each other's expressions.

Their trek through Frontierland continued with a trip on the "wildest ride in the wilderness," Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and they made their way to Adventureland, where they took a Jungle Cruise, a plunge into Davy Jones' Locker on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, and a high-flying ride on Aladdin's Magic Carpet. It had been a magical and adventurous day so far, and they had only conquered half of the park! After breaking for lunch, the pair ventured into the right half of the park and continued to create magical memories in the happiest place on Earth.

* * *

As you can see, I've split their days up a little bit, but you will still get to read about all of the fun adventures through the whole park. I hope you're enjoying the story so far!

Yours Always,

Ashley Marie.


	4. A Living Fantasy & Journey Into Tomorrow

Living In Fantasy and Journey Into Tomorrow

Tomorrowland, a futuristic exhibit where the coolest and most inventive technologies were on display, was next on Castle's must-have list for Kate to do, and he decided to have her attempt to become a Space Ranger on Buzz LIghtyear's Space Ranger Spin. Kate hadn't ever seen this ride because it wasn't open when she came last, but Castle was a professional at this game. He and Alexis would brush up on their laser tag skills in this ride and would compete against each other to become the next Galactic Hero.

"I've never done this before. Is it hard?"

"The game itself? No, it's not. You just shoot at things like laser tag. Is it hard to beat me? Yes." Kate rolled her eyes at Castle.

"You forget I'm a cop, Castle. I shoot at things a lot, and I'd say I have pretty good aim."

"My aim is nearly impeccable when it comes to these things, so you don't want to mess with me. We'll just see who has the better _aim_ , won't we, Detective?" Kate laughed and held her hand out to shake.

"Challenge accepted, Mr. Castle. Winner picks the next ride?"

"Let's raise the stakes here, doll. Next ride, tomorrow's park, and activities for this evening." Kate contemplated it and smiled when she made her decision.

"Done. Now, seal it." Kate bound Castle to his offer by their kiss, and she couldn't wait to get inside and show his cocky self what she was made of.

The two competitors boarded the ride and prepared their weapons to fire as the Buzz Lightyear voiceover told them to shoot at the Z's in the game and could turn their seats to aim at different walls. Kate kept her eyes peeled for the Z's and watched her score shoot up from four digits to six in a matter of seconds while glancing at her partner's score every so often. She was flying high at 380,945 points while Castle was steadily creeping up behind her at 278,300 points, so she stepped up her game and started shooting at the little alien creatures also. Castle, of course, didn't tell her that certain lit up targets and distinctly shaped targets earn more points than others, and her score skyrocketed to a whopping 609,230 points in the final minute of the game. Her partner's score: 588,600. She won!

"Oh, Castle," Kate taunted as she gestured to her score, biting her lip and smiling in pure satisfaction.

"Well played, Detective Beckett. How did you do so well on your first game ever? _I_ didn't even do that well!" Kate laughed as the pair exited the ride and flipped her hair.

"Beginner's luck, I suppose. This will teach you not to underestimate me again because I won your bet! Didn't think I would actually win, right?" Castle shook his head in defeat behind her and let her savor her victory; she deserved it after all. "I know _exactly_ what ride I want to do now! Come on, sore loser!" Kate took his hand, and they walked hand in hand towards Fantasyland, where the splendor of classic tales comes to life right before your eyes. Thankfully, the ten minute wait on the attraction led them to cruise right on in and board one of Disney World's first original attractions, It's A Small World.

"Oh, no," Castle groaned. Kate sat in the boat next to him with the smuggest smile on her face and patted his knee.

"Oh, yes. Serves you right, Castle. I mean, after you made me sit through the Carousel of Progress, I had to make it up to you. Gotcha!"

"I hate you so much right now." The boat started moving, and the operator waved to the guests. As Castle sat next to Kate glaring at her but trying not to laugh, she teased him the entire ride and sang that stupid song over and over again.

"Come on, Castle! You know you want to sing it." She nudged him playfully and leaned her head on his shoulder while he sat like a petulant child trying not to be amused by his girlfriend singing the god-awful tune along with the animated dolls.

"Those dolls creep me out." Kate laced her fingers with his and softly sang the tune in English, French, and Italian. "You can sing this in more than one language?"

" _Oui monsieur!_ "

"Sexy," Castle mused, and Kate stared at him in disbelief. "Not this song, just— I—"

"I got it, Castle. Maybe later." It was Castle's turn to stare at her in shock because somehow she read his thoughts in a fraction of a second.

"How— How did you know what—"

"Call it a woman's intuition, or we can go with your theory that we could be twins. Whichever you like." Kate sat back in the seat and sighed as she looked around and enjoyed the rest of the ride.

After leaving the dreaded ride, the couple took a leisurely walk around this area of the park and moved on to more enjoyable rides. Castle passed the Mad Tea Party ride and immediately hopped in line, despite Kate's protesting that this ride wasn't fun.

"That's because you've never been on a teacup with me. I'll make you change your mind about this ride if it kills me, Katherine Beckett, just you wait." Kate rolled her eyes and told him that she would throw up, firmly setting herself on not believing Castle, even though she knew deep down that he was the only person who could successfully make her have this much fun in less than 48 hours.

They hopped in a purple teacup of Castle's choice (those spin faster) and snapped a quick picture before the ride set in motion. Without much work, Castle spun the teacup at a ridiculous pace that would make anyone dizzy, and Kate just laughed. The joy was written all over her face, and she couldn't hide the fact that she was having fun even if she tried her hardest. Castle stopped spinning for a minute and captured Kate's picture on his phone, head thrown back laughing and smile wider than a five year old on Christmas. She noticed eventually and laughed at him as she started making crazy faces into the camera, but the best picture of all was of her grinning. Her smile was intoxicating, infectious, and the love in her eyes as she stared straight into the camera made Castle's heart smile with her.

Eventually, the cup stopped spinning, and Kate hugged Castle around his middle to keep her balance and simply because. He kissed the top of her head, and she couldn't stop blushing or smiling. The pair sat down on a bench to shake off the dizziness, and Kate took his hand.

"As much as I normally hate to admit it, you were right, Castle."

"I am documenting this moment forever! You finally admitted it! I am a happy man now!" Castle celebrated that Kate told him he was right about something, but Kate was having her own celebration over the fact that Castle got her on a spinning ride and didn't make her throw up.

Really, though, he made her smile and giggle like that, a feat that hasn't been accomplished since her mother was alive, and she was proud of herself also for allowing her walls to come down for just two minutes in front of a man that she loved and just live. Castle made her realize the fun she can have in this life and why she needed to seize the opportunity to have a good laugh until her belly ached and smile until her cheeks hurt. No one else could give her that, and she praised Castle for his ability to bring out the child in her. After sitting in a peaceful silence for a minute, Kate kissed Castle gently, and he caressed her face softly, pushing a fallen strand of hair from her ponytail behind her ear.

"Come on, we've still got more to do!"

* * *

Their day continued with more rides, including the brand new Seven Dwarves Mine Trail roller coaster, which turned out to be fun for children and adults, and the classic Space Mountain. Eventually, the couple took a break for a relaxing dinner at the new Beauty and the Beast restaurant, Be Our Guest. As they finished their meal, the moon was rising over the Magic Kingdom, and they needed to make their way towards the front of the park to get an ideal spot for the fireworks. Castle remembered where he sat with Alexis when he took her as a child and made sure that the spot on the corner of Main Street next to the Ice Cream Parlor was available, so he and Kate sat on a bench and waited for the show to start.

This turned out to be both of their favorite things to do in Disney World on the first real day in the park. For Castle and Alexis, it was tradition, but it was a coincidence that Kate did the same thing and shared a Plaza Ice Cream Sundae with her father, just like Alexis. Living by his religious tradition, he bought one with a scoop of Cookies 'N Cream and Mint Chocolate Chip, her favorite flavors.

"Castle, are you _trying_ to make me fat? How did you know what I like?" He set the concoction of magic between them, a waffle bowl with two scoops of ice cream, smothered in hot fudge, sprinkled with chopped nuts, and topped with whipped cream and a cherry.

"Beginner's luck, I suppose. Enjoy, sweetheart." Kate and Castle took turns feeding each other scoops of ice cream like the adorable couple they were. Castle dipped his finger in the whipped cream and put a dollop on her nose, so she retaliated and gave him one too. He leaned over the table and licked it off of her nose before she could wipe it off, and she laughed at her silly boyfriend once again, child that he was, as they sat in Castle's special spot.

The voice of Jiminy Cricket welcomed the park guests to the show promptly at 10 PM, and the pair turned their chairs towards the castle to watch the fireworks display with wondrous excitement and awe. The fireworks were gorgeous as always, but no two shows had identical fireworks, so the experience was different for every guest given their varying circumstances and adventures that day. Watching the show was something Kate and Castle both enjoyed and connected to in a special way, for it was some kind of tangible magic that they both could hold on to. As the last round of fireworks shot into the sky, Castle pulled Kate in for a long kiss and held her there to embrace the magic in the air. The fireworks in the air resembled the ones in her heart, and she could feel the love for this man exploding in her chest.

"I love you, Kate." He placed his hand atop her heart, and she copied his motion to his heart. Kate took a breath, mustered her courage, and let her true feelings escape.

"I love you too, Rick. I love you so much." That was the first time she had actually formed the words. He kissed her passionately again and peppered her face with small affectionate kisses as she ran her fingers through his hair. He took her hand and led her towards the front gate and back to the hotel.

* * *

They made love that night holding each other close and whispering the sacred three words over and over into the dawn. Though she had never needed to say them, Castle had the spoken proof to hold on to, and her actions lived up to those words and gave them a whole new meaning for him. As they lay tangled together in the afterglow, Kate thanked Castle for the day he gave her and the magic he showed her that they have together. It's not pixie dust or some kind of spell, but someone once said that love is the most powerful magic of all, and Kate and Castle were living proof of it.

* * *

Longer chapter, but it was so worth the words! I hope you're enjoying it so far! We've got three more parks, plus water parks to go, so I have to ask what your favorite thing is in Disney World? What would you like to see our favorite couple do? Thanks for reading!

Yours Always,

Ashley Marie.


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